You want a true "national perception" problem? Try living 20 minutes from Ferguson, MO and spending your life under the erroneous blanket of the yearly "Most Dangerous City" rankings when the majority of this metro area is as safe as anywhere in central Oklahoma. That's a perception problem.
Very true. St Louis is such a great city that could be really awesome if it had the same kind of investment as an Austin , Charlotte or even OKC. But so many think it's a crime ridden place especially since Ferguson. The same goes for Little Rock which is also a great city that should be growing a lot faster than it is but has a bad reputation.